Harness.



n PATENTEDOGT. 2s, 190s.

J.s.M0GANTs.

HARNESS.4

` APPLICATION FILED NOVA.. 1905.

2 SHEETE-SHEET 2.

. of securing the same to the trace.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JA'soN s. MocANTs, or TALLADEGA, ALABAMA.

' HARNESS.

No. 834,156. t

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed November 4,1905. Serial No. 285.892.

\ lence to means for securing checkreins of harness and the object is to provide a novel, simple, and eHicient structure for securing the rear end of a checkrein, so that the strain thereof upon the harness, and consequently upon the crupper, will be eliminated, thereby affording more comfort to the'animal and as a result securing a greater degree of safety to any one driving the same.

Another object is to provide means of the above character that will not materially alter the general arrangement of the harness nor interfere with the application of the same to or-its removal from a horse.

A still further object is to provide a structure which can be readily adjusted as may be desirable or necessary and will permitof the animal being checked or unchecked with ease and expedition.

Two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,- wherein-.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form when applied to a horse. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the trace-rings and illustrating the manner Fig. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention when applied to an animal, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the same. Y v

Similar reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the draw,- ings. i

A In the embodiment illustrated in the first three figures itwill be observed that the portions of the harness shown are generally of substantially the ordinary construction, including a bit 3, having the usual rings, one of which is shown and designated 4. A harness-saddle 5 is provided with rein-terrets 6, through which are passed reins 7, said reins p being secured to thebit-rings 4 in any desired manner. The ordinary traces are shown and are designated 8. So far as thus described the structure is one well known to the art. f

In connection'with the harness, as above stated, there is employed an overdraw-checkrein 9, the front end of which is divided or forked, as shown at 10, and is connected to to the bit-rings independently of the reins. The rear end of the checkrein carries a ring 11, suitably and preferably adjustably secured thereto, and in this ring is engaged a snap-hook 12, provided with an eye 13. Holding or draft straps 14 pass through guides 15, located on the harness-saddle, said guides being preferably, though not necessarily, formed of a looped leather strap and being disposed between the rein-terrets 6 The holding or draft straps 14 have .snaphooks 16 secured to their front ends, said hooks detachably vengaging in the eye 13 of the snap-hook 12. The length of the straps 14 can be varied, as their ends are looped through the eyes of the snap-hooks 16 and are secured by buckles 17. The rear ends of the straps 14 carry similar snap-hooks 18, connected thereto in a corresponding manner, and said snap-hooks 18 are arranged to detachably engage rings 19, secured to the traces 8. The preferred form of fastening the said rings 19 is by means of leather tabs 20, which pass through the rings and embrace the traces, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, saidtabs being sewed or otherwise secured to the traces. It will be seen in this structure that the strain upon the checkrein 9 is transmitted through the straps 14 directly to the traces, and consequently to the whiffletree. Thus strain upon the harness-saddle, and consequently up on the crupper, from the said checkis eliminated. As a result the harness is much more comfortable to the animal, resulting in a correspondingly greater degree of safety to the driver. The animal, moreover, may be readily checked or unchecked by disengaging the snap-hook 12 from the ring 11,' and the height at which the head is held is regulated by lengthening or shortening the checkrein 9 or by varying the length of the straps 14.

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Another decided advantage in the strucf ture'resides in the fact that the checkrein connections or straps are all connected to the harness and have no direct connections with the vehicle, so that the parts are in assembled operative condition as long as the harness is on the horse and whether the horse is or is not hitched to the vehicle. As is well known it is as often important to have an animals head checked when he is unhitched IOS IIO

from avehicle as when hitched, and, fur-- thermore, there are no more operations necessary in attaching a horse to or detaching it from the vehicle than with the ordinary harness. F

Instead of the above-described structure that shown in Figs. 4 and 5 may be employed. In this case also the harness shown is of substantially the ordinary construction, including a bit 3a, having the usual rings, one of which is shown and designated 4a. A harness-saddle 5a is provided with rein-terrets 6a, through which are passed reins 7a, said reins being secured to the bit-rings 4a in any desired manner. A. breeching-strap SiL has the usual terminal 'rings 9a, and the traces of the harness are designated 10a. So far as thus described the structure is one well known to the art. f

In connection with the harness as above described there is employed an overdrawcheckrein 11"L the front end of which is divided or forked, as shown at 12a, and is connected to the bit-rings independently of the reins 7a. The rear end ofthe checkrein carries a ring 13a, suitably and preferably adjustably secured thereto, and in this ring is engaged a snap-hook 14a, provided with an eye 15a. Holding or draft straps 16d pass through guide-terrets 17 a, located on the saddle 5a between the terrets 6a, having secured to their front ends snap-hooks 18, which hooks detachably engage in the eye 15a. The length of the straps 16a can be varied, as their ends are looped through the eyes of the snap-,hooks 18a and are secured by buckles 19a.l The rear ends of the straps 16a carry similar snap-hooks 20a, connected thereto in a corresponding manner, and said snap-hooks 2Oa engage the terminal rings Qa of the breeching-strap. Loops 21a, carried by the rings 9., surround the traces, these loops being different devices from the holdback-straps, as will' be evident. This harness has the same advantages as that already described except that the strain is brought to bear upon the horse instead'of upon the whiffletree. In either case, however, it is to be observed that the checkrein is connected directly to a draft element of the harness, the traces performing this function under ordinary conditions and the breeching performing a similar function either when holding back or when backing.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be'apparent to those skilled in the art withl l i out fur-ther description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without de )arting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad vantages .of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let- Aters Patent, is-

l. rIhe combination with harness including a draft element having means for attachment to a vehicle, and a bit, of a checkrein connected directly to the draft element and to the bit.

2. The combination with harness having means for attachment to a vehicle, and including a draft element having a ring, and a bit having rings, of a checkrcin directly connecting the ring of the draft clement and the hitrings.

3. In harness, the combination with a checkrein, of traces, and direct connections between said checkrcin and both traces.

4. In harness, the combination with a checkrein, of traces having rings secured thereto, and separate straps directly connecting the checkrein and the trace-rings.

5. The combination with harness including a checkrein having a terminal eye, and draft means for connection to a vehicle, of direct connections between said eye and draft means.

6. The combination with harness having meansv for attachment to a vehicle, and including a checkrein having a terminal eye, of spaced harness-rings carried by said harness, and straps having detachable connections with the rings and eye.

7. The combination with harness including a checkrein, and draft means for attachment to a vehicle, of straps connected to the draft means, and a detachable connection between both straps and the checkrein.

8. In harness, the combination with traces, of rings connected to the traces, a checkrein having a terminal ring, a snap-hook connected to the ring and having an eye, and straps connected to the trace-rings and detachably engaged in the eye of the snap-hook.

In testimony that I claim the` foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JASON S. MCCANTS.

Witnesses:

J. II. HENDERSON, G. A. WILLIAM-s.

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